Google Inc. is working their way into the healthcare industry, announcing a design that can test glucose levels painlessly through tear production.
On Jan. 15, Google’s official blog had a post from the company’s project co-founders, Brian Otis and Babak Parviz, that gave details about Google’s new smart contact lens prototype.
“We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears… testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second,” Otis and Parviz wrote.
Those with the diabetes perform glucose level checks on a regular basis. The most common method is pricking a finger throughout the day to get a blood sample reading.
“It’s disruptive, and it’s painful,” Otis and Parvis wrote. “And, as a result, many people with diabetes check their blood glucose less often than they should.”
Daniel Rodriguez, junior pre-nursing major, has had Type 1 diabetes for two years and when he heard about the Google smart lens his interest was caught.
“I would try (Google smart lens),” Rodriguez said. However, Rodriguez still holds his common sense about such a new product.
“I would do my research on all the bugs first,” Rodriguez said. If Google does create this new product, Rodriguez said he will watch to see if problems arise.
Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, microbiologist and professor of biology at CBU, said he has his own reserves about Google’s prototype.
“You hear a lot of hype about things that don’t always pan out,” Bideshi said. Without giving any perspective on the Google smart lens, Bideshi said he would have to read about the product and do further research.
Google admits that this process will take some time but at this point Google is discussing the product logistics with the Food and Drug Administration.
